Margrave’s Bastard Son was The Emperor [EN]: Chapter 618

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The wizards pouring wine before the banquet paused. A large, powerful tremor echoed from below the castle. Ian, sensing it too, nodded to Hale, who took a cigarette from his pocket and left the banquet hall.

The wizards, popping raisins into their mouths, muttered.

“What’s that noise?”

“Yeah, sounds like a cabinet falling over.”

“Come on, how could that be heard all the way up here?”

“I guess not? Unless someone picked it up and threw it.”

Screech!

At that moment, the entrance to the banquet hall swung open. Lady Danit Holin had arrived, her hair neatly styled and dressed in a clean gown. Kayla, naturally, was not well enough to join them.

“Welcome, Madam.”

“Minister Ian. You’re here early.”

“Of course. It’s a gathering with His Majesty, so I was checking to ensure everything is in order.”

Ian smiled and offered the lady an aperitif. It was to prevent any potential danger, as the Emperor was to enjoy the banquet.

In fact, even though the wizards seemed to be idly munching on raisins, their eyes had all turned gold.

“Ahem.”

Next, the Royalists arrived. Jorge, the central figure, led the way, followed by his officers. Lady Danit held her head high without greeting them, and the Royalists, making no effort to engage, found their respective seats.

“….”

An awkward silence filled the banquet hall. The wizards exchanged glances and raised their eyebrows, while Danit and Jorge openly displayed their hostility.

One was the person who had sent her daughter to her death, and the other was a traitor who had stabbed her in the back. The air was thick with their animosity.

“His Majesty the Emperor enters.”

“Everyone, please rise.”

The Emperor entered. Jin, dressed in light attire, gestured for everyone to sit. Only then did the tension ease, and the animosity seemed to subside.

“It is a momentous night. Lady Danit Holin, and Lord Jorge. Let us dine first.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. As you said, it is indeed a historic night. It is unprecedented for the Emperor of the great Bariel Empire to dine in the Vergos Palace.”

“It was all possible because of you all.”

Jin gave a perfunctory reply.

From Bariel’s perspective, it was a fortunate event, but they had ultimately sold out their country for their own gain. They had opened the castle gates to the enemy and begged for their lives for power. If he were Damon, he would not have forgiven them more than Bariel.

“Your Majesty.”

Jorge immediately noticed that Jin was not in a good mood. He presented a neatly folded paper to Jin, who was sipping his aperitif.

“This is the reply to the message from the Minister of Magic earlier. You were concerned about the supply of magic stones.”

“I understand, but there are many mines closed due to the civil war. The Magic Department annex is under construction in the Imperial Palace, and the supply has been cut off for several years. To resolve this, I would like Bariel to take charge of revitalizing the mines.”

Saying ‘I would like’ was essentially a demand to hand over all the mines.

But if they could establish a new dynasty, would a few mines matter? Jorge nodded, telling him not to worry.

“We have narrowed down the main mine locations to three. The one the Magic Department desires most is around here. It’s called Erektosia, a high-grade magic stone. It’s about two hours away, and from what we’ve gathered, the landslide damage is still severe.”

“How bad?”

“Finding the entrance is a challenge. There’s a general location, but we’ll have to dig through the debris to find it.”

That’s going to be a headache. Using ordinary people as labor would be costly and time-consuming.

Since it’s a magic stone mine, the Magic Department would have to mobilize its personnel. They were already short-handed, but there was no other way since it was related to the Magic Department annex.

“The ones going are going to suffer.”

“Right? It’s digging through a landslide, and Commander Acorella will be supervising. It’s going to be hell. I definitely don’t want to go.”

“If it were up to us, we wouldn’t have to worry.”

The wizards whispered, sensing the upcoming extreme field duty.

“And there’s a mid-grade magic stone in my territory. The other magic stones can be obtained without relying on Vergos, but if you wish, I will give you the mining rights. Fortunately, all the mines are within the territories of those gathered here.”

At Jorge’s words, the Royalist officers smiled thinly. A coincidence? Absolutely not. The key locations of the mines were all divided among the Royalist officers.

Knowing this, Lady Danit glared and twisted her lips bitterly.

“Lord Jorge.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Do you have children?”

“Children?”

Jorge paused at the sudden question. Why was he asking that? He had no idea, but he nodded.

“I have five.”

“I see. And you all?”

“Ah, except for the Baron, everyone here is married and has children.”

Everyone except one had heirs.

As if he expected it, Ian dabbed his lips with a napkin. Jin set aside the knife stained with blood and smiled, offering a proposal to the Royalists.

“Even if you hand over the mining rights to Bariel, Bariel’s personnel will live and work in those areas, spending a significant portion of their lives there. Do you agree?”

“Yes? Ah, yes, yes. I suppose so.”

“Therefore, I want to provide them with convenience. If you give up a portion of your territories, they can easily solve their food, clothing, and shelter. What do you think?”

It wasn’t just about the mines; it was about handing over the territories themselves.

On the surface, it seemed like a light proposal, but it held an invisible blade. If they showed even the slightest opening, he would not hesitate to cut their throats.

“Your Majesty. Before we discuss that, there is a matter we must address first.”

Jorge, though flustered, added without losing his composure. His gaze was directed at Lady Danit, as the path the Royalists would take depended on who would become the ruler of the new dynasty.

If they could become the highest authority in Vergos, what did a few pieces of land matter? They would hand them all over without regret and only keep the prime land near Calamat.

“Why are you gesturing at me?”

“Lady Danit made a deal with Vergos using the weapons business rights given by Bariel, but she took unfair profits by supplying low-grade weapons. During the civil war, we fought tirelessly for the survival of the Vergos dynasty, so we cannot overlook this matter. Your Majesty.”

It was a kind of notification that they would recognize it as Lady Danit’s sole action. The Royalists would not raise any objections to Bariel, so they were pleading for permission to bring down the Holin family.

As if expecting this, Lady Danit took a sip of wine and retorted.

“You continue to make baseless claims about low-grade weapons without providing any evidence. You rejected the proposal for a full investigation, so on what grounds are you trying to frame the Holin family? Your Majesty. This is an insult to the Holin family and a disrespectful attitude towards the Imperial Palace, which officially granted the business rights.”

“His Majesty the Emperor is present. Do not speak harshly, Madam. We are holding back right now.”

“Are you holding back for me? You’re holding back for yourselves, so don’t talk nonsense.”

“Look here, Madam!”

“Enough.”

Jin frowned, not wanting to hear any more. The matter was already decided, so what was the point of arguing loudly in front of him?

At that moment, footsteps were heard outside, and Jin put down his napkin and stood up.

“The Royalists will write it first. Agreeing to the transfer of mining rights and the donation of territories.”

“But, Your Majesty!”

“Do you not know because you haven’t seen blood? You are in a position of surrender. Do not forget that it is right to give before receiving.”

At Jin’s firm words, Jorge paused, looking perplexed. But the Emperor’s attitude was clear, and the gold-eyed wizards filling the banquet hall were pressuring Jorge and the Royalists.

After a moment of hesitation, Jorge finally nodded. A wizard, as if waiting, placed paper, pen, and ink in front of him.

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of the pen nib scratching on paper echoed pleasantly in the banquet hall. Jin watched as the final period was placed and turned away without a word. Ian followed him out.

“…?”

Jorge and the Royalists looked back and forth, bewildered. Something felt strange.

“Y-Your Majesty?”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Jin, stepping into the corridor, met a figure moving in the darkness. It was Siaoshi. His steps were light, his eyes were sharp, and his sword was stained with blood.

“Siaoshi, is everything ready?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. All the Royalist forces in the annex have been subdued and dealt with.”

“Good work. Let’s finish this.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Jin patted Siaoshi’s shoulder in encouragement.

“The letter written by the Royalists will be kept by Lady Danit.”

“Understood.”

The execution of the Royalists had to be publicly attributed to the Holin family. That was the burden they had to bear, and the reason why Bariel was using Holin to establish a foothold in Vergos.

Later, if the Royalist’s relatives raised objections about the transfer of mining rights, the Holin family would step forward and present the documents.

Tap, tap!

At Siaoshi’s signal, soldiers rushed in a line down the corridor connected to the banquet hall. As they moved, the lamps were extinguished one by one, and soon the inside was filled with darkness and silence.

“I will report when it is finished.”

Siaoshi also left those words and followed his subordinates.

At that moment, in the distance, Hale appeared with Acorella. More precisely, it was Hale holding Acorella tightly by the scruff of her neck.

“Minister Ian. I’ve confirmed the cause of the commotion downstairs. While Commander Acorella was away, Lady Chloe went down to the basement. She has tracked down and eliminated all the remaining Royalist remnants, and the tremors were caused during that process.”

Ian recalled the half-destroyed pillar and the cracked marble floor. He didn’t know the details, but if Lady Chloe was involved, it made sense.

“Ah, Your Majesty. And there’s one more thing you should know.”

“What is it?”

“It’s one of Lady Chloe’s side effects. It seems she has taken a liking to Sir Siaoshi, according to Commander Acorella’s report.”

“What?”

Jin frowned and turned around, and Acorella nodded, her eyes sparkling. Her face was full of conviction.

“I don’t know when or how the side effect will disappear… but it’s certain. Lady Chloe is in love with Sir Siaoshi!”

“What…”

“It’s unbelievable, but I did it!”

Jin’s eyes followed Siaoshi’s retreating figure, who had just disappeared behind him. Something didn’t sit right with him.

As Jin didn’t relax his expression, Ian added.

“I don’t know how Lady Chloe will react, but it’s actually fortunate as far as side effects go. It’s not something the Davion family can object to either. Above all, if Lady Chloe’s heart is with Siaoshi, it will be helpful to Your Majesty as well.”

How many plans and schemes had they devised to keep the Davion family in check? But if Siaoshi and Chloe were involved, it would lead to a natural absorption of power.

“…I don’t like it.”

But Jin only crossed his arms and muttered. It was a very similar feeling to when Ian had received marriage proposals when he was younger. Chloe Davion? Beautiful, yes, but still…

“I don’t know.”

“Your Majesty, what exactly are you talking about?”

Acorella carefully interjected, observing the Emperor’s mood.

“Um, Your Majesty. The Lady has a very strong desire to be helpful to Bariel. If you’re not comfortable with that, how about sending her to the mine? Of course, I’ll go too. The Lady has so much energy left, she’d be a great help.”